Jesus Enters Jerusalem
(Matthew 21.1-11Luke 19.28-40John 12.12-19)1 Jesus and his disciples reached Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. When they were getting close to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 He told them, “Go into the next village. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks why you are doing this, say, ‘The Lord needs it and will soon bring it back.’ ”
4 The disciples left and found the donkey tied near a door that faced the street. While they were untying it, 5 some of the people standing there asked, “Why are you untying the donkey?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said, and the people let them take it.
7 The disciples led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back, and Jesus got on. 8 Many people spread clothes on the road, while others spread branches they had cut from the fields.
9 In front of Jesus and behind him, people went along shouting,
“Hooray!
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!
10 God bless the coming kingdom
of our ancestor David.
Hooray for God
in heaven above!”
11 After Jesus had gone to Jerusalem, he went into the temple and looked around at everything. But since it was already late in the day, he went back to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
Jesus Puts a Curse on a Fig Tree
(Matthew 21.18Matthew 19)12 When Jesus and his disciples left Bethany the next morning, he was hungry. 13 From a distance Jesus saw a fig tree covered with leaves, and he went to see if there were any figs on the tree. But there were none, because it wasn't the season for figs. 14 So Jesus said to the tree, “Never again will anyone eat fruit from this tree!” The disciples heard him say this.
Jesus in the Temple
(Matthew 21.12-17Luke 19.45-48John 2.13-22)15 After Jesus and his disciples reached Jerusalem, he went into the temple and began chasing out everyone who was selling and buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those who were selling doves. 16 Jesus would not let anyone carry things through the temple. 17 Then he taught the people and said, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be called a place of worship for all nations.’ But you have made it a place where robbers hide!”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses heard what Jesus said, and they started looking for a way to kill him. They were afraid of him, because the crowds were completely amazed at his teaching.
19 That evening, Jesus and the disciples went outside the city.
A Lesson from the Fig Tree
(Matthew 21.20-22)20 As the disciples walked past the fig tree the next morning, they noticed that it was completely dried up, roots and all. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree. Then Peter said, “Teacher, look! The tree you put a curse on has dried up.”
22 Jesus told his disciples:
Have faith in God! 23 If you have faith in God and don't doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. 24 Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.
25-26 Whenever you stand up to pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins.
A Question about Jesus' Authority
(Matthew 21.23-27Luke 20.1-8)27 Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. And as he was walking through the temple, the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses came over to him. 28 They asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
29 Jesus answered, “I have just one question to ask you. If you answer it, I will tell you where I got the right to do these things. 30 Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”
31 They thought it over and said to each other, “We can't say that God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John. 32 On the other hand, these people think that John was a prophet. So we can't say it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize.”
They were afraid of the crowd 33 and told Jesus, “We don't know.”
Jesus replied, “Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.”
1 And when they came neere to Hierusalem, to Bethphage and Bethania vnto the mount of Oliues, he sent forth two of his disciples, 2 And sayd vnto them, Goe your wayes into that towne that is ouer against you, and assoone as ye shall enter into it, ye shall finde a colte tied, whereon neuer man sate: loose him, and bring him. 3 And if any man say vnto you, Why doe ye this? Say that the Lord hath neede of him, and straightway he will send him hither. 4 And they went their way, and found a colt tyed by the doore without, in a place where two wayes met, and they loosed him. 5 Then certaine of them, that stoode there, sayd vnto them, What doe ye loosing the colt? 6 And they sayde vnto them, as Iesus had commanded them: So they let them goe. 7 And they brought the colte to Iesus, and cast their garments on him, and he sate vpon him. 8 And many spred their garments in the way: other cut downe branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And they that went before, and they that folowed, cryed, saying, Hosanna: blessed be hee that commeth in the Name of the Lord. 10 Blessed be the kingdome that commeth in the Name of the Lord of our father Dauid: Hosanna, O thou which art in the highest heauens. 11 So Iesus entred into Hierusalem, and into the Temple: and when he had looked about on all things, and now it was euening, he went forth vnto Bethania with the twelue. 12 And on the morowe when they were come out from Bethania, he was hungry. 13 And seeing a fig tree afarre off, that had leaues, he went to see if he might finde any thing thereon: but when he came vnto it, hee found nothing but leaues: for the time of figges was not yet. 14 Then Iesus answered, and sayd to it, Neuer man eate fruite of thee hereafter while the world standeth: and his disciples heard it. 15 And they came to Hierusalem, and Iesus went into the Temple, and began to cast out them that solde and bought in the Temple, and ouerthrewe the tables of the money changers, and the seates of them that solde doues. 16 Neither would hee suffer that any man should cary a vessell through the Temple. 17 And he taught, saying vnto them, Is it not written, Mine house shalbe called the house of prayer vnto all nations? but you haue made it a denne of theeues. 18 And the Scribes and hie Priestes heard it, and sought howe to destroy him: for they feared him, because the whole multitude was astonied at his doctrine. 19 But when euen was come, Iesus went out of the citie. 20 And in the morning as they iourneyed together, they saw the figge tree dried vp from the rootes. 21 Then Peter remembred, and said vnto him, Master, beholde, the figge tree which thou cursedst, is withered. 22 And Iesus answered, and said vnto them, Haue the faith of God. 23 For verely I say vnto you, that whosoeuer shall say vnto this mountaine, Be thou taken away, and cast into the sea, and shall not wauer in his heart, but shall beleeue that those things which he saieth, shall come to passe, whatsoeuer he saieth, shall be done to him. 24 Therefore I say vnto you, Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray, beleeue that ye shall haue it, and it shalbe done vnto you. 25 But when ye shall stand, and pray, forgiue, if ye haue any thing against any man, that your Father also which is in heauen, may forgiue you your trespasses. 26 For if you will not forgiue, your Father which is in heauen, will not pardon you your trespasses. 27 Then they came againe to Hierusalem: and as he walked in the Temple, there came to him ye hie Priestes, and the Scribes, and the Elders, 28 And said vnto him, By what authoritie doest thou these things? and who gaue thee this authoritie, that thou shouldest doe these things? 29 Then Iesus answered, and saide vnto them, I will also aske of you a certaine thing, and answere ye me, and I will tell you by what authoritie I do these things. 30 The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men? answere me. 31 And they thought with themselues, saying, If we shall say, From heauen, he will say, Why then did ye not beleeue him? 32 But if we say, Of men, we feare the people: for all men counted Iohn, that he was a Prophet in deede. 33 Then they answered, and saide vnto Iesus, We cannot tell. And Iesus answered, and said vnto them, Neither will I tell you by what authoritie I doe these things.